Читать книгу Executive Pursuit - Andrea Laurence - Страница 5

Six years. How had Penelope managed to resist Kellan so long? Then she remembered. The trick was to stay far, far away from him. While he’d been away at law school it had been easy. He’d only come home for quick holidays and special occasions. But he’d moved back to D.C about a year ago, and it seemed like every time she turned around, Kellan was there, watching her. Something had been building between them. Something she couldn’t let herself give in to if she wanted to keep her job.

President Ramsey had won his place in the White House on a family values platform. As such, the First Lady demanded an extremely conservative work environment, especially when it came to her staff. There were to be no scandals, no fraternization with other staffers, and certainly no involvement with her troublesome son.

It was only after Penelope had ended her relationship with Kellan that she’d realized the rules were there for good reason. Before they’d met, Kellan had enjoyed seducing staffers and causing problems for the office. He was the only chink in the Ramseys’ illusion of perfection, and back then, he’d liked it that way. Fortunately, that was a bad habit he’d given up after meeting her.

“You’re not worried about your mother because you don’t work for her.” As White House Social Secretary, Penelope reported directly to Mrs. Ramsey. “She can’t fire you.”

A smile curled Kellan’s lips. “Consider yourself lucky to be fired. I’ve got to listen to her disapproval for the rest of my life.”

Penelope shook her head and pressed one hand against Kellan’s chest to keep him at a safe distance. “Well, I’m going to be unemployed in three weeks. I have a pretty promising job lined up in Atlanta, but it hinges on a glowing recommendation from your mother.”

“I heard about that. That’s the reason I’m here.”

Penelope frowned. It wasn’t exactly common knowledge. “Who told you?”

“My mother.”

Penelope’s dark eyes grew wide. “You were talking to your mother? About me?” She didn’t even want to think about how that conversation had gone. After Penelope had landed a dream internship at the White House, she’d had to break it off with Kellan, and when a couple years later she’d been hired as Social Secretary, Mrs. Ramsey had acted as though her son had never dated her.

Kellan shrugged. “It certainly beats talking to her about me. Besides, I think she enjoyed it. She gets a thrill from knowing she split us up. She was taunting me about you moving to Atlanta to work at some fancy, private girls’ school. Is that really what you’re going to do?”

He said that like it was the most wretched job in the world. She supposed that for a rich kid who’d gone to a private school, it might be. For her, it was almost as good as the job she had now. But there was a time limit on jobs at the White House, and she’d be a fool to pass up this new opportunity. “Yes. The Jefferson Academy is one of the most highly regarded private schools in the world. Getting a position on the staff there is more impossible than being admitted as a student.”

“You’re going to teach stuck-up little girls which fork to use?”

It was just like him to reduce her hard work to something as trivial as flatware. “Etiquette is what holds polite society together. The parents of those ‘‘stuck-up little girls’ recognize that. It’s a very prestigious position. One that depends on your mother’s letter, so could you please take a step back before someone sees us?”

“No.” He didn’t budge an inch. “You won’t be happy there.”

“What makes you think you know so much about me, Kellan? It’s been a long time since we’ve been anything but casual acquaintances.”

“Exactly. And that ends here. Tonight.”